Everstuck
by DizMagika
Summary: A prequel to Homestuck, this is a tale about how Sburb/Sgrub came to be, how what seemed like a simple game designed to let off steam slowly exploded into the manipulating game we know of today. Taking place in the far past and focusing on the division between two close sister planets, this is a tale of reunions and heartbreak, of life and death, of the real Prospit and Derse.
1. Welcome to the Story

_Hey everybody! :D I'm publishing my first story... I'd love to hear any reviews or whatnot you've got! I know it isn't great, but I think it's okay, and I'm planning on posting better chapters on here anyway. Cheers! :)_

Welcome to the story. Hi. I will be your narrator for today.

What's my name, you ask? What's that? You didn't ask? Well, TOO BAD. I'm your narrator, and you're stuck with me.

Believe me, this is NOT what I had in mind when I started to mess with everyone. It was just a joke, right? I mean, it's not like I caused the world to end or whatever.

…Or whatever.

Plz forgives me. I not means to kill so many people… I didon't know I cud does so much destructions to happeninged. I didon't mean to die your loveralers, or anyone else's…

but I has to say, it sure as heckajob wasn't my fault! Everyones blameded it on me, when it really wasn't! You suckas was just mad 'cause yous know eyes pawn yahs!

…Meesa fallen into sad state… nobodys talk to mees anymore… everyone just… avoideds me…

I dont needings them! I'm brightly on my own! Everything I does be just fines, and one days I'ms goening to saves the world! Yesa I sures ammmnbnfjdkabhebkirajlrfygbs jkruailgraeuilngfhgtrtg

You pound on the keyboard. There's no denying it.

Your writing sucks.

Your name is EMILY MOFFIT, and you SUCK AT WRITING STORIES. You hope one day to be an INSPIRING NOVELIST, but at the rate things are going, that goal will be achieved HALF PAST NEVER. Besides sucking at writing, you also suck at COOKING, DRAWING, TECHNOLOGY, and pretty much EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE. There is NOTHING YOU CAN DO RIGHT. Everything you touch EXPLODES ever since your brother CUT DOWN THE FOREST. Rumors about your POWERS have circulated around, and everyone AVOIDS YOU. You are a FAILURE IN LIFE. You-

You sniffle. You cannot go on. You suck at everything, why don't you just leave it at that?

Sniff, sniff. Now look what you've done. Crying is not suitable behavior for a failure. You need comfort. You need…

…a moffin.

You grab a muffin randomly sitting in your bed. What? A muffin? You have heard of no such thing. This, this BEAUTIFUL moffin is not a muffin. Oh no. It is far more evolved than that, far higher on the evolutionary ladder. This is the great, the miraculous, the stupendous, the unimaginable taste of wonder. This is…

…the MOFFIN.

You chomp on the moffin.

MOFF MOFF MOFF

Poor moffin. It lived such a short life. It shall always be remembered for its bravery, its courage. It sacrificed itself so other moffins may live. The other moffins hold a funeral for the moffin that once was. The moffin mayor of moffin town steps up to the podium as the town gathers around him. The moffin mayor makes sure the microphone is on. The moffin mayor has a few emotional words to say. The moffin mayor opens his mouth and begins to speak. The moffin mayor-

MOFF MOFF MOFF

The moffin mayor is no more.

You start to reach for another moffin when a sharp !PING! scares the crap out of you and you end up slapping the moffin halfway across the room. It bounces off the window and lands on a chair in front of a desk.

It just so happens that you have a message from one of your chums on your computer. Your computer is on your desk. Your desk is in front of your chair. And your moffin is on your chair.

You make your way to your computer and gaze at the moffin sitting so elegantly on your chair.

_Destiny_

MOFF MOFF MOFF

You open up your pesterlog. Oh, great. _Him_ again.

|PESTERLOG|  
- DeathhandTomatoglitter [DT] began pestering NovelistaMoffinlovah[NM] at 16:13 –

DT: EMMAEMMAEMMAEMMAEMMAEMMA

DT: EMMYEMMYEMMYEMMYEMMYEMMY

DT: EMMYLIAEMMYLIAEMMYLIAEMMYLIA

DT: EMMACHANEMMACHANEMMACHANEMMA CHAN

NM: Oh moffin. Not yous again.

DT: actualie this is his youngah brather :D

NM: Really? How did yous manage to get on his account?

DT: it was easie!

DT: i just waited 'till he left ta go get the mailies

DT: and then

DT: i sort af

DT: hit the lockies button on tha door

NM: Yous locked him out?

DT: yeah

DT: its funny see hes yelling far me ta apen up

DT: and aur sistah is making faces at him

DT: payback for when he forgat abaut her in school that one day

NM: Haha, for reals? Yous is serious?

DT: realie realie seriaus ;) *nudge nudge* And naw that im here I gat to tell you samething

NM: Samething?

DT: s*o*mething

NM: Why didon't yous just put the O in the first time?

DT: cause

DT: the O is sa empty, it hurts me

DT: i dan't like ta use Os if I can help it

DT: butbutbut I still gat ta tell yau samething

DT: abaut my brather

NM: Okays, so what abouts your brother?

DT: well, yau see… hes gat a crush an samebady yau know

NM: Moff? Isn't it that news girl he's been hanging arounds with a lots lately?

DT: na

DT: far the recard im anly telling yau this cause he broke my sistahs bunny

NM: He broke yous sisters bunny? But don't she loves that thing?

DT: yeah

DT: but that's not the paint!

NM: Paint?

DT: point

NM: Okays.

NM: ...hellos?

NM: Yous there?

DT: sarry

DT: my bra gat pissed we wauldn't answer

DT: and he tried to climb up aur apen windaw

NM: Reallys? Did he makes it in?

DT: well if he did I wauldn't be talking ta yau naw wauld i?

NM: I guess nots?

DT: na

DT: but what i wanted ta say

DT: is that he lkiflbruiaelwrulghryeaugryae uk

DT: liefbhawukeikebjfkaiekwaeili ekewliaekabfjkritlkjlkilkes

NM: ?

DT: guess who's back baby!

NM: Ugh, noes! Put yous brother back on! He was abouts to tells me something important!

DT: my *brother* is not here anymore

DT: hes been stuffed in a closet for messing with my stuff

NM: What? Oh noes, let him outs! He didon't do nothing!

DT: shut up stupid girl

DT: nobody messes with my stuff

DT: nobody

NM: Then maybe yous cans tells me what he were going to says?

DT: heck no

DT: stupid runt aint gonna blackmail me

DT: and i aint stupid enough to blackmail myself

NM: But he saids it were important!

DT: well thats too bad for the little moldy muffin

NM: Moffin! MOFF!

DT: like i seriously give a moffin

Moff! He said moffin! It's a miracle… he's acting so nicely today, too! He's not cussing or saying mean things.

HE CHANGED!

…

…Nah. That's impossible for someone like him, right? Besides, he locked his brother in a closet. That's not exactly *nice* behavior.

Moff.

|PESTERLOG|

DT: so moffy

DT: I gotta ask you something

NM: Not untils yous let yous brother outs the closet!

DT: later

NM: Nows!

DT: fine

DT: there its done

NM: Whats ups with yous today? Yous so nice.

DT: im getting to that

DT: i want to ask you something

NM: Yous? Go rights aheads.

DT: so

DT: i got into a fight with some idiotheads around here

DT: you know how it is

Yes, you do indeed.

The world as you know it is divided into two parts, two planets connected by a single, narrow bridge. The planets are both the same size and shape, but are radically different; rich and poor, good and bad, smart and not-so-smart. Everyone is given a label at birth, and you can never change it.

You yourself are lucky enough to have been deemed smart-looking enough to live on Derse, the planet of the good, smart, and rich people, but your friend here isn't so lucky. He lives on Prospit, the planet of the slum dogs. The poor planet, where you have to fight to survive and steal to live. It's their way of life. You can never escape it.

|PESTERLOG|

DT: we ended up starting a competition

DT: us prospitians against you derseites

NM: Moff moff?

DT: except we have to get some derseites to go along with us

DT: you know

DT: fight to the death and all that

NM: MOFF?! No ways!

DT: it won't be for real

DT: derse makes one half of it, prospit makes the other half

DT: ive got one guy whos good at computers and crap making half of some skeleton of the game

DT: itll be an online game like an mmo

DT: but the thing is

DT: we need some derse people to do their half of the game

NM: MOFF! And yous think ims smart enough to do ours half of its?!

DT: considering you live on derse

DT: yeah

NM: MOFF! And whys, moff, do yous even wants to do this?!

DT: cause thats the only thing that unites the prospitians

DT: our hate for you derseites

NM: …

Crap. You hated to admit it, but it was true. The Prospitians had a deep hate for the Derseites. They could argue about everything in the world, but that was the only thing they would ever agree on.

Down with Derse.

|PESTERLOG|

DT: think about it

NM: I don'ts needs to thinks about it. I don't want to hurts yous or anyone elses and I don'ts see the points to this.

DT: emily

DT: you don't understand the situation here

DT: gang fights got so intense

DT: tons of people have been dying lately

DT: i know ive been a douche to you lately

DT: and everyone else

DT: but im really not as violent as i usually sound like

DT: seriously though ill kill you if you ever tell anyone any of this

DT: but i worry for my brother and sister

DT: I don't want them to die

DT: and if some "war" with you derseites is what it takes then so be it

NM: I can'ts. I ain't good at anythings.

DT: emily please

DT: youre one of the only people who will ever listen to me

DT: if others find out youre in

DT: theyll join in too

NM: …

DT: do it for my brother

DT: I know you guys are close

NM: …

NM: Fines.


	2. highleaderTempest Denale Montal

_Two years earlier…_

Rain pours down, instantly soaking everything it comes into contact with. The unrelenting water never slows down, only seeming to get stronger with each passing second until the rain is barreling downwards, as if the clouds are trying with all their might to break down what's left of the old, poorly constructed buildings in the darkest part of Prospit- The Park.

Between some of the taller, somewhat not-so-broken-down buildings in The Park, there lies a rather intricate maze of cardboard boxes. All are closed shut but one, and in it one might just see a pair of black eyes staring through the rain.

Who's this guy?

Your name is DENALE MONTAL. You have lived in PROSPIT all your life. You have learned to STEAL and LIE to survive, and are actually on your way to becoming a NOTORIOUS GANG LEADER. Not that anyone KNOWS it, of course. You tend to KEEP A LOW PROFILE. You live in a COMPLICATED MAZE of CARDBOARD BOXES that nobody understands but you and YOUR SISTER, and you are under CONSTANT pressure from her to find a BETTER LIFE. You don't deal well with all the STRESS that she gives you, but LISTENING TO RAIN calms you down. Lots of Prospitians like to mess with you for LOVING RAIN, among other things, and they are the ones that make you EXPLODE one day, causing you to LASH OUT IN REVENGE and SABOTAGE a certain GAME you will play in the future.

Of course, we don't know that yet. We will be very surprised when you ruin everything, won't we?

What will you do?

-DENALE: Listen to rain.

You listen to the rain. _Patpatpatpatpat_

You're not sure why the sound of rain calms you down. It reminds you of horrified people screaming a split second before they slam to their deaths.

- DENALE: Inspect house.

You inspect your cardboard box. Some random plastic you found years ago is thrown over the top to prevent it from being drenched with water every time it rains. It is also bolted to the ground with nails, bolts, staples, tape, gum, and anything else you could find.

Man, your house is safe.

So safe.

- DENALE: Fondly regard random happy memories.

What happy memories?

- DENALE: Be the moffin girl.

You know no such person who goes by that ridiculous name. _Moffin._ Psh, as if such a stupid-sounding thing ever actually existed. And even if it did, a leader has no use for such a word.

Moff.

- DENALE: Get down to business.

It's time to get down to business. So many lives to ruin, so little time.

You turn away from the lulling sound of the heavy rain and enter the maze of cardboard tunnels. It is pitch black in here, but really- when you have the place memorized like the back of your hand, do you seriously need a candle?

No, you think not. Candles are for wimps. And you are not a wimp. You are in control here, even if you're the only one who knows it. You are a grand manipulating leader.

Leaders require no assistance from puny candles.

The tunnel starts sloping downward. You ARE getting "down" to business, after all.

Yes, you actually ended up digging an entire underground network of tunnels. It was hard work that took years, but it was worth it. Any intruders would surely get hopelessly lost in here. The tunnels are rigged with random traps, pits, and other things that will surely cause their doom.

Every leader should have his own maze of death. It is almost as if you control the HAND that holds DEATH. You have absolutely no idea why you emphasized HAND and DEATH. Nope, no idea.

What you mean by that, before anyone starts becoming some sort of big-mouthed smart aleck, is that you masterfully manipulated a "friend" of yours to build this network for you. Man, manipulating others is SO EASY! It is no challenge, nope, no challenge at all for a capable leader like you.

You finally reach the dead end you were looking for. This particular end houses a variety of things; it is your living quarters, so to speak. Your "home", or your "hive", whatever those words mean.

Now, to find your laptop…

Everything is so dark in here. You try to feel your way around, but it looks like you've misplaced your laptop. If only you had a little light to look around…

Uh, light? Uh, like a candlelight?

…the leader requires assistance from the puny candle…

You reach for a random match and light it up, then proceed to light the candle you have in your pocket. Always good to have a spare in case your sister comes over one day. She doesn't like the dark.

You blow out the match and hold the candle up, but not too up. Cardboard is flammable. Very, very flammable. You don't want to burn your house down again.

Your eyes sweep the room, but you don't see your laptop. What?! Could someone have broken in and stolen it?! WHERE IS YOUR-

Oh, there it is. Behind you. You turn it on and blow out the candle. No need for that anymore.

The dull light from the laptop faintly lights up the room as you log in to Pesterchum. It looks like your little "friend" whom you mentioned before has a message for you. He sounds upset by some sort of problem *you* caused.

Is he… showing disrespect to his leader? Tsk, tsk. He should know better.

|PESTERLOG|  
- DeathhandTomatoglitter [DT] began pestering highleaderTempest [HT] at 22:10 –

DT: what the heck montal

DT: what the heck did you do

DT: what the fudge is this mistake you dumped at my place

HT: Shcw scme respect fcr thcse abcve ycu, peasant!

DT: screw that montal today you crossed the fudging line

HT: Tread carefully, underling! What are ycu talking abcut?

DT: im talking about these idiot-head kids that showed up on my doorstep blabbering on about how you sent them here

Ah. The kids. About time they showed up on his doorstep.

See, it's about time your little "friend" developed some weaknesses. Right now, he's the best right-hand slave a leader could ask for, but you can't have him growing too powerful. You can't take the small chance he'll grow up to challenge his leader some day.

What does one do if such a situation ever occurs? One strikes at a fatal weakness. And if your opponent has no weaknesses?

You make some.

|PESTERLOG|

HT: Ah, yes, the kids.

DT: yeah yeah the kids!

HT: Yes, abcut that.

DT: Take them back.

DT: see i even used proper grammer and punctuation and all that crap to show i really mean it

HT: Thcse kids did me a huge favcr the cther day, saved me scme trcuble I was in deep.

DT: yeah montal cut to the point already

HT: I wculd cffer them a place tc stay, but as ycu kncw, my hcme… dces nct dc well with visitcrs.

DT: no

DT: just no

DT: dont even say it I aint doing it

HT: It is nct ycur decisicn tc make. They are ycur prcblem ncw.

DT: no

DT: this is blackmail

DT: DO YOU FREAKING KNOW HOW ANNOYING THEY ARE?!

HT: As a matter of fact, I dc. But dces it really matter? Ycu are taking them in cr else.

DT: or else what?!

DT: death is better than listening to them blabber on and on and on and on

HT: Need ycu gc there?

DT: …no

HT: Nc?

DT: no MASTER

HT: Gccd.

DT: but ill leave you with this

DT: one day you better watch your back

DT: cuz i aint gonna be around forever

DT: im only sticking around cuz i wonder how an idiot like you got so much power

- DeathhandTomatoglitter [DT] stopped pestering highleaderTempest [HT] at 22:30 –

How, indeed.

You smile and chuckle a bit. _Suckah!_

Hook, line, and sinker. Give it a year or two- even someone with the hardest heart won't be able to resist getting even the slightest bit attached to those twerps.

You weren't able to resist, and you only knew them for a day or two. The boy in particular reminded you of yourself when you were younger… if you were more naïve and gullible when you were younger, that is.

And yet his attitude is catchy… His hate for the letter O has recently piqued your interest. That was one intelligent conversation the two of you had, when you managed to fish his innermost thoughts out. You find his thoughts to be true; the letter O is quite unusual. But, unlike him, you don't see it as empty. You see it as being perfect. Nothing that perfect should ever exist in this world.

Something that perfect needs to be broken.

You mull over your thoughts of the siblings. Two birds with one stone- you don't become too attached, and your "friend" over there gets attached and attachment, as every leader knows, is weakness. Most weaknesses are created by attachment.

What, you having a weakness? No. Weaknesses are not leadership material.

…but you do have a sister. However, that is different. You were separated a few years after birth. She tried to hide you in her home, but your pale white skin stands out against everyone else's dark black ones.

What? Paint? Of course, idiot, that's what you did. You painted your whole body black, but the paint kept rubbing off. You managed to go a few years without being discovered, but you were discovered nonetheless and would have been put to death for trespassing had your sisters "friend" not intervened and created some sort of portal teleporter pathway thing to your new home. You aren't really good with technology, so you don't know any of the details.

What's that? This all sounds a bit confusing? Pah. That's what happens when you aren't leadership material.

It's simple, really. Your white skin marks you out as a Prospitian. And while you feel right as rain in your current home here on Prospit, once upon a time you lived on Derse.

For you see, while you are a Prospitian, your sister is a Derseite…


	3. forestfairy Alura Azuza

You are now back to being the MOFFIN GIRL in the present.

However, the MOFFIN GIRL does not notice you. She is too busy staring at her computer. In particular, she is staring at one word.

|PESTERLOG|

NM: Fines.

Fines. Fines. Fines. Fine. Fine. FINE. FINE. FINE. FINE. FINE! FINE! FINEFINEFINEFINEFINEFINEFINEFINE

WHAT DID YOU JUST AGREE TO?!

You slam your head on the wall next to you. How stupid can you get, Emily? You don't know the first thing about online games, and you don't want to spend your first one running around trying to kill Prospitians! You are not a killer, and that's that.

Of course, that last sentence will prove to be very, very ironic in the future. Although you will try your best to do the right thing and save everyone, you will actually end up doing the exact opposite of that. Without meaning to, of course. You're just that naïve.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here- that's in the future, and we must stay in the present for a short while longer.

For now, you are almost killing yourself over your impulse decision to join your friend's game-in-the-making.

Oh why, why did you say you would JOIN? If he hadn't pulled out his little brother card, you wouldn't have joined. Why does he have to have such an adorable little brother? Why, why, WHY?

You can't join. His little trick worked for a second, ha ha ha. So funny. Now it's time to get down to business. Tell him you can't join. Tell him you're out, you will never be able to bring yourself to play such a game.

|PESTERLOG|

- DeathhandTomatoglitter [DT] is no longer connected! –

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFF!

This is a disaster! How are you ever going to reach him now? He's probably going to tell his little brother what you said, and those adorable little eyes… You've never actually SEEN them, but just hearing him ask… Well, you've never actually HEARD him, but seeing his words are enough… You… can't resist…

You can never resist…

The adorable WORDS.

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFF! WHY SO ADORABLE?! WHYYYYYYYYYYY

Okay, Emmy. Time to get it together, moff. Get it together. Get it, get it-

You slam your face into your keyboard. MOOOOOOOOOOFF…

After lamenting into your keyboard for a few seconds, you turn your head sideways and stare at your gloved hand. How bad could the game itself really be? You'd have the upper hand, easily. If you really wanted to, you could kill everyone in the game quickly. Easy as moff.

Hesitantly, using your other covered hand, you remove the glove on your left hand. Slowly but surely, careful to not make any sudden movements, you stretch your fingers out and wiggle them a bit. How long has it been since you've taken your gloves off? Days, weeks, months. Maybe two or three years.

You stare at your black hand. Black like death- and rightly so. Anyone you touched with your hands would die a horribly painful death. You can't even remember the last time you actually touched something…

How long has it been? Around four years already since you were cursed? Moff. Four years can really seem like a lifetime to you…

Suddenly a shrieking noise zooms past your house, making you flinch. A soft 'boom' is heard closely, as if something had crashed, and the force of the impact rattles your house a bit, causing your little chair-on-rolly-wheels to wobble. You yell as you tip back and forth rapidly for a few seconds before losing your balance completely.

You heroically jump out of your chair as it topples to the floor, and you land ungracefully on your toes, tripping over yourself, and almost doing a somersault if you hadn't put out your hand to steady yourself against the wall.

_Whew!_ That was a close one. It's a good thing you thought fast enough to-

YOUR HAND. YOUR UNCOVERED HAND. IS TOUCHING. SOMETHING. THE WALL.

You brace yourself, waiting for it to happen, looking away and covering your head with your other arm. Closing your eyes shut, you get ready to scream for the pain you know will come.

…

You open your eyes. What's that? Nothing happened? You stare at your hand, still spread out flat against the wall.

You're touching something. The wall. You're touching the wall! You're touching the wall and nothing happened!

Nothing happened! You can't believe it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, hap-

The wall explodes. _MOOOOOFF!_

**_- PAUSE!_**

And that, unfortunately, is where we must stop our present story. Emily will just have to deal with her exploding wall on her own for now. Why, do you ask? Why do I have to stop right when things are starting to explode? Well, you see, the answer is simple. Every grand storyteller knows that in order to go forward, sometimes you just have to go backwards.

**- ****_SCENE CHANGE!_**

_-Two years earlier-_

It was a dark and stormy night on Prospit. A maze of cardboard boxes littered the streets. Denale Mon-

No, no, no. We're three years too late and one planet too far. Try again.

-_Three years earlier than two years earlier-_

It was a bright and cheerful night on Derse. Streetlights cast pretty purple shadows along sidewalks, turning blue rain puddles into a sweet soft purple color. Everything was clean, elegant, and beautiful in the brightest, most mysterious part of Derse- The Park.

Few Derseites ever wander in here, even though this Park is the center of their metropolis planet. Legends speak of when Derse was born, this was its center, its heart.

And every single Heart has its Protector. Its Guardian.

Perhaps it is because the Derseites have a conscience of all the terrible things they have done to the Prospitians. Perhaps they think that the Heart of Derse is connected to the Heart of Prospit. Perhaps they think that one day, one day the Guardian of Prospit will find a way to Derse and punish them for all the wrongs they have done. Perhaps they think that one day-

Oh, look! Some little Derseite younglings have wandered into the Park. This rarely ever happens; and look, they're speaking! Let's listen in to this rare occurrence, shall we?

Of course, since it's pretty obvious that these two Derseites will have absolutely no impact on our complicated story and are only here for our amusement, let's name them Derseite One and Derseite Two. Because they are irrelevant to the story and will never, ever grow up to change the story or become main characters. I mean, really, why would there be two main characters horribly disguised as random Derseites here in the Park? What are they doing, stealing the show from the real star of this flashback? Pshaw. As if a little ten and eight year old could ever do that.

- DERSEITE ONE AND DERSITE TWO: Steal show.

|DIALOGLOG|

DERSEITE ONE: WhAt Are we doing here in the PArk, of All plAces?

DERSEITE TWO: I heard$ if you$ make$ a wi$h in a puddle after$ it rain$, it'll come true$!

DERSEITE ONE: Then wish somewhere else. Don't you know it's dAngerous here?

DERSEITE TWO: I know$. It ha$ to be$ in the Park$, though. Otherwi$e$ it won't come true$!

DERSEITE ONE: I don't cAre. I won't let you go Any fArther. It's too dAngerous.

The first Derseite steps in front of the other, blocking her way with his arms outstretched, forming a little eight-year-old barrier. She looks at him, curious.

|DIALOGLOG|

DERSEITE TWO: Why$ do you$ even $ay it'$ too dangerous$?

DERSEITE ONE: HAven't you heArd the story? There's A cruel evil firefly who lives here!

DERSEITE TWO: Firefly$? I thought$ the firefly$ all died when the fore$t was cut down$.

DERSEITE ONE: No, legend sAys thAt All died but one, And thAt it won't hesitAte to hAunt you for killing its brothers And sisters!

DERSEITE TWO: Well$, I wa$ only going$ to be there$ for only a $econd!

DERSEITE ONE: But, but, whAt if thAt one second is All the time the cruel evil firefly needs?

DERSEITE TWO: I'll have to takes$ the ri$k. I need$ to know. I need$ to know if he'$ really out there.

DERSEITE ONE: …Fine. But, but I'll protect you with my power if the cruel evil firefly decides to AttAck. It's the leAst I cAn do.

DERSITE TWO: Thank you$. You$ is a real nice moffin.

That second Derseite saying the word moffin is clearly a coincidence that has absolutely nothing to do with the course of our story.

_Clearly. _

Nonetheless, our little ten-year-old second Derseite smiles at her smaller friend, who settles down and follows her deeper into the Park. They pass by a single tree that, although it looks very sickly, still stands strong.

This tree will obviously have no significance to our story and obviously absolutely nothing will happen if it were to be cut down in the future by some random hotheaded Prospitian.

_Obviously. _

The second Derseite stops in front of a puddle that is untouched by the purple light of the nearby streetlights; it lies in a hole, an unnoticed gap in their light, shielded in a small space of unnatural deep darkness. She gazes at it, whispers something we cannot hear, and throws a pen into the water.

|DIALOGLOG|

DERSEITE ONE: A _pen?_ Why would Anyone throw A _pen_ into A little puddle?

DERSEITE TWO: Becau$e everyone know$ the pen i$ mightier$ than$ the $word.

DERSEITE ONE: But whAt would throwing a pen into A puddle help with? How does it help your wish?

DERSEITE TWO: Wi$he$ are a my$teriou$ thing. Everyone know$ that$.

DERSEITE ONE: …We'll tAlk lAter. For now, let's get out of here before thAt cruel evil firefly wakes up!

- CRUEL EVIL FIREFLY: Wake up.

…Huh? What's that? Derseites? Outside?

- CRUEL EVIL FIREFLY: Look for Derseites to haunt.

Derseites? Haunt? Why would anyone in their right mind ever do that? And besides, it sounds like they just left. There's no chance to haunt them if they've already left.

- CBKUG DBIL DHUEFLU: Introduce yourself.

Uh oh. It looks like part of the command was censored. Looks like the dbuca fy-

Yup, the skcuej-

Uh, the _living thing_ that lives in the Park doesn't really want to introduce itself. But since the question was asked so, so nicely-

Your name is ALURA AZUZA, and you are most certainly NOT A FIREFLY. You are NOT cruel, or evil, either. You like to think of yourself as a FOREST FAIRY. You are PRECISLY ONE INCH tall, and you look EXACTLY LIKE A DERSEITE except for GLOWING GREEN WINGS out of your back. You LIVE IN A TREE, and have MAGICAL POWERS that no other being can equal, except for YOUR TWIN WHO LIVES IN PROSPIT, of course. You and your twin DON'T GET ALONG, and HAVE NOT SPOKEN since your twin's tree-home was CUT DOWN a YEAR OR SO AGO. You aren't really good with dates. Despite all those RUMORS GOING AROUND of your evil and cruelness, you are ACTUALLY VERY NICE, and WOULDN'T DREAM OF EVER HURTING ANYONE. However, you are FIERCELY PROTECTIVE of YOUR HOME, and would SACRIFICIE and DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT OR AVENGE IT if someone were to ever try to CUT IT DOWN.

What will you do?

- ALURA: Attack some random Derseite in defense of your tree-home.

What? Why would you ever do that? No one's ever touched your home before.

- ALURA: Feel bad about lying.

Okay, so maaaaybe that may have been a lie. You peek out of your tree-home and gaze at the Park. You can almost see it full of trees again…

- ALURA: Initiate flashback.

Trees filled the Park. Once upon a time, the Park really was a park. It was full of trees, and grass, and wild plants. It was a wonderful place to live.

But Derse is a small planet. Soon, the Derseites had run out of room on their populated part. They spilled over into the Park, and cut into it little by little, the forest started shrinking, the trees started disappearing- first by a little, but then rapidly.

What's that? Some might say the forest is gone?

Nonsense. You still live in a forest. You wouldn't be a FOREST fairy if you didn't live in a FOREST.

You just happen to live in a forest that consists of only one tree.

- ALURA: Snap out of flashback.

Huh? Whuzzat? That command was a bit late… you're perfectly capable of multitasking. You can have a flashback and pay attention to your surroundings, yes yes?

- ALURA: Be the firefly. Fly around glowing green.

What? No way! There's no way on Derse you'll ever willingfully go out at this hour. You don't want to be the cruel evil _green_ firefly.

…But then again. You flap your wings once or twice. Your wings are kinda sore… a short flight would wake them up and get them the exercise they need to get rid of that soreness.

- ALURA: Be the green fairy. Fly, pupa, flyyyyy!

You have no idea what a "pupa" is, but you fly out anyway. Ah, it feels good to stretch them. How long has it been since you've been on a flight?

Not very long. You went out yesterday very briefly. Then why do you feel so…?

Ah. Your stupid twin. Both of you are connected. Is this what it feels like to be dead, then? You figure that's what must have happened, since Prospit's treehome was cut down. Although, then again, maybe one your crazy twin's potions finally had some weirdo effect on him and his treehome.

Maybe that's why yours is dying. Its leaves started to yellow when your twins treehome was cut down, and now its leaves are starting to droop, too. None of them have fallen yet, but for all you know it's bound to happen in the future.

You can't bear to see your precious treehome sickly like this. Lately you've been thinking of going off in search of a cure, but you're not sure if you should. If you leave, you leave treehome unprotected, but more than that, you leave the Park undefended. The Park needs its Guardian fairy to protect it.

You glance back longingly at your treehome. Yet, if this continues…

Maybe in the future. For now, you should fly around near the Park and listen in to the Derseites' conversations. Maybe you'll hear something helpful- anything is better than what you have now, which is… nothing.

Then it's decided. You'll listen in until you hear something that might lead you to a cure. It's a long shot, but ACK WHAT IS THAT LIGHT?!

You shield your eyes against the light. You can't stand the light at all- that's why you only ever come out at night. And now, this bright thing, this sparkle, this… this abomination shattering the peace of the dark- what is that?

It's coming from the ground. You swoop down, and it appears to be the shiny corner of something about half your size. Squinting, you realize part of it is buried in the ground. You dig a little and uncover the rest of it. Its square-shaped and thin. Looks light enough to carry.

You shoot up in the air and carry it with you back to your treehome. There, away from the pale light of the streetlights, it doesn't reflect anything. You can see it more clearly now in the dark.

As you noticed before, it is in the shape of a very, very thin square. It has some tiny faintly-shiny rectangles that cover part of one side.

It looks very, very old. Like it was buried in the dirt for a long, long-

You pause. Dirt? There is no dirt in Derse, not since they cut down the forest years ago. Where did this come from? Space?

You flip the squarething over. It looks like it had something written on it a long, long time ago. It's hard to make out, but you can just barely notice the letters CDJPP.

_CDJPP?_

What could that mean? It sounds like gibberish.

Oh well. You toss the squarething to a faraway corner of your treehome. Random stuff like that obviously has no importance to your life and will never, ever cause someone to do something as insane as cutting your treehome down, or cause some random big glitch that really isn't a glitch at all. Or is it?

You shake your head. Now you're confusing yourself with these random possibilities. The point is you'll probably never, ever see that object again. It's just some random piece of junk.

_And that's got to be the most clearly obvious thing in the universe…_


End file.
